Go Green: Clean, green produce

Friday

Feb 18, 2011 at 12:01 AMFeb 18, 2011 at 6:16 PM

There are myriad reasons to eat more fruits and vegetables (especially locally grown, in-season ones). However, the more produce you eat, the more important it becomes to make sure it’s properly washed — even for organic produce. A solid rinse can remove pesticides or certain bacteria that can cause nausea, stomach issues, diarrhea or worse.

Allecia Vermillion

Do you really need a produce wash to clean fruits and vegetables?

There are myriad reasons to eat more fruits and vegetables (especially locally grown, in-season ones). However, the more produce you eat, the more important it becomes to make sure it’s properly washed — even for organic produce. A solid rinse can remove pesticides or certain bacteria that can cause nausea, stomach issues, diarrhea or worse.

Jill Nussinow, a registered dietician and author of “The Veggie Queen: Vegetables Get the Royal Treatment,” cleans her produce with water, but for people who would like to do something more, she recommends a solution of three parts white vinegar to one part water. “This works best for fruits with skin and any vegetables except mushrooms, which are not technically a vegetable,” she says. “The important thing to remember is that you are only washing off what is on the surface of the vegetable no matter what method you use, so for me buying organic is important.”

Are vegetable washes necessary?

Solutions that promise to clean your produce, usually called fruit and vegetable washes, promise to remove pesticides, microbes and soil, using 100 percent natural ingredients. However, a variety of studies suggest that special cleansers don’t do the job as effectively as plain old tap water.

Researchers at the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition at the University of Maine tested three commercial produce washes on blueberries, comparing them to soaking the berries in distilled water for one to two minutes. One wash got rid of roughly the same amount of microbes and pesticide residue, while the other two fell short of the distilled water’s effectiveness.

A study by the USDA found that water, vinegar and lemon juice reduced bacteria just as much as vegetable wash solutions. Given the costs of each option, the agency says cold water from the tap is the most cost effective way to wash produce. Wash them twice, or more if possible. Other studies found that a tap water rinse worked just as well as plain old soap and water.

The process of rubbing produce as you rinse it is likely responsible for removing much of the pesticide residue, according to a study conducted at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station.

Produce should be washed under running water for at least 30 seconds. A few other things to know about cleaning your fruits and vegetables:

Research has shown that wiping, say, an apple on your shirt or a paper towel does very little to banish germs.

Never wash fruits or vegetables with detergent or bleach.

Produce should still be washed even if the rind or skin won’t be eaten so that surface bacteria doesn’t contaminate the inside when cut or peeled.

DID YOU KNOW

- According to the USDA, the fruits and vegetables we eat most frequently are apples, lettuce, broccoli and tomatoes.

- Strawberries should only be washed immediately before eating or using. Washing before storage can cause them to spoil faster.